LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2517, 19 July 1915, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

| , —e Provided tlie Huddart-Parker steamer Riveriua arrives at Auckland froni Sydney this morning, the southern portion of her English (via Suez) and Australian mails should arrive at Wellington by tomorrow morning's Main Trunk express. At about 1 a.m. yesterday a Fiat car from Fitzgerald and Pearce's garage, after leaving the Queen's Wharf, struck one of the tramway centre poles in Jervois.Quay with great violence. The driver, Maurice O'Kane, was thrown from his seat, and struck the pole, sustaining a slight injury to tho head and an internal injury which is not regarded as serious. The car , was rather badly damaged by the impact. On inquiry at the Hospital last evening it was reported .that O'Kane was doing very well. During tho "march past" in sections of the National Reserve at Newtown Park on Saturday afternoon,, all the non-commissioned officers 'in charge of the sections saluted when passing the reviewing officer (Colonel Porter, C.8.) save one. That one raised his hat—a | hard black one —which act caused not a little amusement among those assembled at the base. It appears,_ however, that this is an exception which proves the Tule, as it is said to be quite tho. proper thing for a soldier in mufti to raise his hat to a superior officer in uniform, in-': stead of saluting, and an officer in mufti acknowledges a salute in the same way. A Gazette Extraordinary lias been issuod declaring the notes of the banks trading in Now. Zealand legal tender for a further term, from August 7 next to November G, 1915. Complaints are repeatedly being made that intending purchasers of motor-caw cannot obtain reasonable deliveries. Tho war has seriously congested shipping, this being the main reason of delay. Arriving at the end of this month, however, are eigjit and four-cylinder Kings, Chevrolcts, and Detroiters. 'Clio Dominion Motor Vehicles, Go Courteuay Place, and U-i6 Tory Street are controlling agents for tlwse lines.—Adrt.

Tho officials of the Expeditionary Forces Record Office have been receiv. ing a large number of inquiries from the relatives .of soldiors still at the front as the result of various statements which have been made—doubtless in Rood faith—by tho men who returned by the Willochra. Somo of these statements have already been investigated by cablegram, and Lave been proved to bo incorrect.

The Waipawa District Hospital Board has adopted a sclieme of nurse-recruiting which is meeting with much success. In view of a possiblo shortage of nurses for attending wounded soldiers, thei hbard invited applications from women! willing to voluntarily undergo a course! of tuition at the hospitals under its control, without remuneration to trainees, so that after they had gradiK ated their services could bo utilised for war nursing if nocessary. The response to the invitation for applications has been very gratifying, and the scheme will be put into operation practically at once.

The Minister of Defence stated yesterday that the s.s. Tofua, which has been taken by the Government for a' troop transport, will not be fitted up at Auckland, as was suggested. The work would bo done at Otago. The Ship would require special fittings, and there were the conveniences at Port Chalmers ttf perform that work mora cheaply and expeditiously than it .could be done elsewhere. Auckland was getting her share of the work to be done in connection with' the war, and had among other things all the sending of supplies to Samoa. /

Somo time ago the Minister of Defence received a memorandum from tho secretary in. Millerton and Greymouth' for the Prince of Wales Relief Fund stating that it was rumoured in that' district that the Imperial Government had transferred a portion, of the money subscribed for the fund to the War! Fund. On July 9 the High Commissioner cabled, in reply to a query by, Mr. Allen, that.no-portion of the money so subscribed had been invested _ in either of the war loans. The committee recognised the necessity for the whole of tho fund being readily available as required. Arrangements had been made with the Government to lend the portion not required immediately for short; periods. The remainder was on' depositwith the. banks. ' The total received was £5,254,000. and payments made amount' ed to £2,205,000.

The edict prohibiting trading with tho enemy has been extended to enemy subjects resident or carrying on busw ness in 'China, Persia, Siajn, and MoJ rocco.

Hearing that the "Trent-s" (the Earl of Liverpool's Own) were without -a mascot, tho members of the Central Club subscribed and purchased a prize bull-dog, which is being presented to the regiment. The dog has been named Poneke (.Wellington). It is being provided with a silver collar, which will have tho' following inscription: "Presented to the Ist Trentham Regiment (E.L.0.) by. the Central Club, Wellington."

Never .before have two White Star . liners left Wellington for Lyttelton witliiu teu minutes of cacli other, and when the Corinthio (12,231 tons)> and Athenic (12,234 tons) steamed down Port Nicholson shortly after 4 p.m. on Fri-w day it was thought that an interesting ' race would take place. Tho Corinthio • arrived at Lyttelton at_ 7.45 a.m. on Saturday, and the Athenic at 9.5- a.m. The Oorinthic thus heat her rival on the' • 175 miles run by one hour. and ten minutes. The Pateena and Wiramora both left Wellington for Lyttelton at 11.5 p.m. on Saturday, c.nd the former vessel arrived at the southern port half ail hour ahead of the Wimmera.

An indication of the rise in the prices of materials was given tho Wanganui Harbour Board in a letter received from their dredge master, Mr. C. J. Swann, who is supervising the building of the board's new dredge Kaiono on the Clyde. It had been intended to order spare propellers,. but Mr. Swann notified tho board that the price has risen from £75 to £93 each, and advised the hoard not to order them. This was agreed to. Mr. Swann added that owing to Admiralty work there was the greatest difficulty in getting delivery of materials for private contracts. "Most of tho yards on tho Clyde," he says, "are working night and day, and on Sundays too, and still the cry is that they are not doing enough."

A meeting of the Labour Day Committee was held in the Trades Hall last Friday night, Mr. W. Cooper presiding over one of the largest and most representative gatherings yet held in ■Wellington in connection with Labour Day. The secretary reported that replies from' unions in connection with the procession and 6ports gathering this year wore most satisfactory. It was decided by. the committee to hold the old-time procession on a new basis, and a comprehonsive prize list was adopted, to cover, all sections of trade and mercantile, exhibits. It is intended to promote "am art union in connection with the demonstration, and tickets will be on sale this week. The sports gathering will be held in Newtown Park, ai(J a substantial prize list is being prepared. The net proceeds of the celebration wiil be divided equally, between the Mayor's War Distress Fund. and the Trades Hall • Building Fund. Full particulars in connection with the procession and sports events will b.o circulated within a few days. - - -

Big-gun practice was indulged in ati Forts Ballance and Ngahanranga on Saturday afternoon, when some twelve shots were fired at Hong-Kong targets, towed by the Janie Seddoii. The R.N.Z.A. opened proceedings at Fort Ballance at 1.30. by firing two shots from the 8-inch guns, and were followed by No. 9 Company Garrison Artillery, who fired four rounds from! the 6-inch guns. No. 5 Company Garrison Artillery fired lator in the afternoon with four shots from tli9 6-inch woapons at Ngahanranga. Generally, speaking some good shooting was done, showing that the' artillerymen certainly, know how to Landle tiheir guns. The practice was conducted under the supervision of Colonel Campbell (Coast Defenco Commander), Lieutenant-Colonel Courtney (Officer Commanding the Wellington Garrison Artillery Division)* Majors D. R. Menzies and E. V. Bevan, and Captain Thring (Staff Officer). Major A. H. Hollis commanded JSo. 9 Company, and Lieutenant F, W.. X 0 seler No. 5 Company.

The fire brigade received a; oall at 10.10 p.m. on Saturday to No. 100 "The Terrace, a hoardinghouse kept by Mr. T. Churchward, where the draught from a broken window had blown the flamo of a candle against a window curtain. The services of the brig-ado were not needed.

A novel exhibition of pavement drawing was 1 given in the streets of tho City by Tozart, the vagabond artist, from His Majesty's Theatre, during Saturday morning.' It attracted, largo crowds of onlookers, who were not 6low in showing their appreciation by responding to tho artist's appeal for tho "Weekly Dispatch" Cigarette and Tobacco Fund for tho New Zealaiiders; at: tho Dardanelles. Tozart is delighted with tho total of £6 13s. 3d.,'wluch now makes £25 since his arrival in New Zealand three weeks ago. One thousand men, says Tozart, will each receive 35 cigarettes and' 20z." tobaco and matches. •' 'That' will help them' to keep then'pecker' up'. Twill give smother exhibition of pavement sketches, and nope to raise some more smokes for the bravo lads in khaki," he says. \

A' "tagged" balance-sheet, returned from the Auditor-General's Office to the Eastbourne Borough Council, came before the council at its last meeting. The 'Auditor-General pointed out that tho payment of £250 the Bays Bay Purohaso Fund was without authority in law. ; The Mayor informed the council that t-he Minister of Internal Affairs liad promised to bring down legislation to ;validate the payment in question. • . - Captain Donald Simson, of the New Zealand Fiekl Engineers, wHb was one of the'wounded to. return to New Zea- . land on the Willochra, left on a visit to. relatives in Auokland by tho Main Trunk express on Saturday afternoon. Prior to his departure Captain Simson told a pressman that, as an officer of the British section of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force; he : would be pleased to communicate on behalf of parents to any member of the British section and give them any information lie possessed with regard to their boys in the Dardanelles. For a week or so lettefs for Captain Simson 1 ; may be addressed care of the Defence i Departr inent, Auckland, and after that care of f/he Defence Department, Wellington.

'At 8.7 o'clock last evening a call was received to Evaiis Bay Road,' where an incipient fire had been near the door of a beach boatshed, ov.ned by Mr. Collins Ford, of Waipapa Road, Hataitai. The shed sheltered a yacht, but beyond tho burning of part of a few boards near the door no damage was.done.

During the year ended Maroh; 81, 1915, the total number of arrivals in New Zealand'from the United Kingdom was 7322, of which number 2986 were assisted to the Dominion by the Govt eniment, made up ,of persons nominated from New Zealand, and persons applying themselves for assisted pasRages iu London. The declared capital brought out to the .Dominion, by the •latter amounted to £16,318 10s. The total of 2986 was made up as follows: —640 men, 1295 women, and 1051 children, and their destinations were: Auckland 888, Canterbury 455, Nelson 91, Otago 224,' Southland 124, Tarauaki 122, Wellington 744, Westland 52. Sis hundred and four wore domestics, ;292 were farmers or faxm labourers, 189 were tho children of farmers and farm labourers, and 1901 were people who came out to relatives.

The Tramways: Band, under the baton of Mr. G. W. Bowes, gave a>conoerfc in His Majesty's Theatre last evening before a large audience, which manifested every sign of keen appreciation of the musical fare provided. The principal selection played was a fantasia on Balfo's tuneful opera,-"The Bohemian Girl." It was very v pleasant to hear the melodies so well played. . The ensemble work of. the band was very goo<l, thanks to a great extent to a fine bass section, which was in tune, not a common virtue in brass bands.. The band also playedj a new march, "Our 'Boys" (composed by ; Mr. Juan Levy, of Wellington)/' a pretty waltz, "Carrasente" (Le Theire), an intermezzo, "Aerial" (J. Ord Hume), and a descriptive fantasia entitled "A Village Wedding" (S. Cope), which was enlivened with effects picturesque and comic, which pleased the audience hugely and is well worth repetition. The band was assisted by Mrs. J. P. Woodward, who " sang a charming "Villanelle," by Delia Acqua, and a very beautiful song by the gifted Liza. Lehmann,. entitled 'Tlosa Sesiirget." Mr. Reginald Blow sang with good feeling "Lord God of Abraham" ' (from "Elijah"), and "The Birth of Morn."